MRS LEILA BENALI
Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development – Kingdom of Morocco
Over decade ago, Morocco embarked on its energy transition under the esteemed guidance of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God Assist Him. The three key pillars of this transition were and still are increased integration of renewable energies, the development of energy efficiency and the reinforcement of regional integration.
Energy efficiency in Morocco on the supply side and demand side means to improve the strengthen competitiveness of our country, reduce expenditures on imports and energy security.
The Ministry is actively revising the National Energy Efficiency Strategy in parallel with the transformation of the Moroccan Agency for Energy Efficiency. The transport sector, constituting approximately 38% of national energy consumption, housing at 33%, industry at 21%, and agriculture and public lighting at about 8% are all important sectors to embark.
The new objective is a 20% reduction in national energy consumption by the year 2030 compared to the Business as Usual Scenario.
In addition to simplifying of the regulatory framework, related to standards and energy service companies (ESCOs), the real potential and for job creation, we introduced a new decree in line with article 6 of Law n°47-09 on energy efficiency, to activate incentive mechanisms for energy conservation for the first time.
Regarding incentives, the Ministry initiated a pioneering initiative in November and December 2022 to encourage all electricity consumers to save energy while enjoying a bonus provided by the country. Beyond reducing national electricity consumption, this measure aims to foster a sense of solidarity among all consumers by promoting the adoption of effective energy efficiency practices.
We also launched several programs aimed at buildings with significant energy-saving potential across the Kingdom, mosques, schools and sports facilities and buildings under the authority of the Ministry of Justice. All have a tremendous potential to reduce their energy bills and become anchor candidate for self-products and social economic development in their regions.
The Energy Efficiency Project in Morocco (PEEM), is designed to enhance energy efficiency in public buildings, the private sector, industry, and public lighting within territorials.
This is the spirit of the next version of Morocco’s flagship Rural Electrification Program (RERG). The PERG 2.0 aims to electrifying villages that face challenges in accessing the electricity network. The project aims to capitalize on synergies with other initiatives, including those targeting Green Mosques, Schools, Courts and more.
To create mini grids, integrating Renewable Energies, batteries and energy upgrades for facilities.
In parallel, the ministry is actively conducting various awareness-raising workshops for professionals across divers sectors including public building managers, architects, industrials, solar pumping specialists, and individuals within the tourism industry.
Research & Development and innovation programs in the Energy efficiency field are situated across multiple platforms. Currently these platforms focus on implementing energy efficiency in buildings, promoting sustainable mobility, and advancing smart grid technologies.
To win energy transition, more is needed, and an increase of capex devoted to R & D. We have initiated the utilization of platforms such as Green Energy Park for solar energy training (with a budget of 21 million US dollars), Green & Smart Building Park as a training platform focused on R&D in Green buildings, smart grids, and sustainable mobility (with a budget of 25.5 million US dollars), and GEP-MCI designed to create a platform for testing, characterization and training in solar energy under semi-tropical environments.
Additionally, we will establish research and development as well as innovation platforms focusing on diverse subjects, including «GREEN H2A» (Energy to Hydrogen and Energy to Ammonia) with a budget of US$32 million allocated for the first phase and led by the Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN) and the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), this project, aims to play a pivotal role in the industrial deployment of the green hydrogen sector and its applications in Morocco. Furthermore, the Agro-Energy-TIC Valley will be dedicated to conducting research and development in the fields of bioenergy, agritech, and the Water-Food-Energy Nexus.
